Sony Announces New NXCAM Camcorder

Today Sony announced its NXCAM HXR-NX30J, a palm-sized prosumer camcorder that includes optical camera-shake stabilization and a built-in projector.

The HXR-NX30J incoprorates a 1/2.88 Exmor R CMOS sensor, and is capable of recording 1080 AVCHD at 60p, 60i, 30p and 24p, and 720 60p. Footage is stored on a 96GB internal flash drive, with an SD card slot to supplement storage. The internal drive can store 9 hours of HD footage, and 24 hours in SD. The camera sports a fixed Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T 26mm wide-angle lens with 10x optical zoom, and includes a built-in video light.

The included "Balanced Optical Steadyshot" technology appears to incorporate Steadicam-like stabilization for the entire optical system, which looks to be legitimate:

The HXR-NX30J also includes powered dual XLR inputs on a detachable rig, adding to features that make the camera optimal for event videography. The only thing that seems a bit suspect is the built-in projector that can generate an image of up to 100 inches. Seems a bit gimmicky for a camera with a likely MSRP of about $2,650, but it's not exactly getting in the way of anything, as an extension of the camera's touch-screen LCD monitor. The general form of the camera looks to be along the lines of Sony's original TRV-900 / PDX10 progression.